Monthly Archives: December 2012

Post navigation

My first encounter with the practice of silence was intense. A friend invited me to a silent retreat and, though I was a little apprehensive at the idea of not speaking for 2 days, trusting her, I signed up,

Ironically, the best way to describe my experience is that it was like my entire being was shouting the Hallelujah! Chorus. It was an epiphany, and I wasn’t in a hurry for it to end. When it did, I felt exposed without the covering that the ‘chat ban’ had provided, and somewhat violated by strangers’ small talk that drew me out of my inner sanctuary.

I have since endeavored to practice silence, alone and in the company of others. Both are challenging, as mental distractions seek to break the silence as much as does conversation. Guarding my thoughts and words effectively sifts which are worthwhile (and kept…

God is a giving God and in His spirit of giving He has blessed us with relationships. How do you view the relationships God has given you? God created relationships for a purpose. God is a relational God. He knows the importance of relationships. Without relationships we lose a very vital part of ourselves. We need relationships, we cannot do without them.
In the beginning when God created Adam everything was perfect. (Genesis 1:31)

He said everything was very good but notice what He says about Adam, “it is not good for man to be alone” (Genesis 2:18).
It is interesting to me that God created man to have a relationship with Him but He said that Adam was alone!!!
God met with with Adam on a daily basis but He still created Eve!!?? Why? Did God make Adam with a defect??
No, He didn’t. He knew exactly what He was doing.

We were created to have a relationship with God and at the same time we were created for each other!!

With that in mind, how much value do you place on your relationships? I have been taught that relationships are very important. We should not take them for granted because they complete us. There is a reason that you know the people you know from the prominent to the not so prominent.
God brought those people into your life for a reason. You may not understand it but know that God has a plan.

The enemy will try anything to break the relationships in your life. He will use things like familiarity, pride, envy and so on to get in the way. Don’t let him take one of God’s most precious gifts to you, relationships and destroy it. Refuse to be familiar with the relationships God has given you. Stop comparing yourself to your friend. Stop looking down on the people you know that don’t have what you have. Stop envying the friends in your life who have more than you. How will you be there for them if you got all those negative things against them? How will God”s plan for your life and their lives come to pass if we have all these negative attitudes?

Remember, the enemy will try everything he can to destroy your relationships. He will even bring the wrong kind of people into your life to poison you, to tear you down, and to corrupt you. Understand that if relationships are vital to your growth then the wrong relationships can destroy you!!!
Let us be people who take the people God has put in our lives seriously. They are all important to your purpose even if you cannot see it. Let us honor God in our relationships. God bless.

What comes to mind when you think about the pharisees? A lot comes to my mind when I think about them.
In the word Jesus had a lot of things to say about them. Jesus was never euphemistic when He spoke to the pharisees. He called them vipers, pretenders, blind fools and so on…..
What I would like to do in this post is talk about where they missed it. The pharisees followed the law of Moses. They were THE leaders in their time. They tithed like we do and probably more consistent than we do, they fasted consistently, they prayed as well, they went to church and taught, they memorized scripture and were probably more committed than us. The Bible was their history book so they could probably recite it! If we could compare them to some pastors of today, they could probably beat them hands down but they missed it somewhere. Jesus shows us where they missed it. I believe we can learn from the mistakes the pharisees made.

Jesus makes a very important statement concerning the pharisees in Matthew 23:1,2–Then Jesus said to the multitudes and to His disciples, The scribes and Pharisees sit on Moses seat [of authority].So observe and practice all they tell you; but do not do what they do, for they preach, but do not practice.

I could stop the post right there, “for they preach, but do not practice”.
Jesus hit the nail on the head. The pharisees did not practice what they preached. They focused on teaching but never applying what they were teaching and what they were taught. They never meditated on what the Word was saying to THEM. They never allowed the word to work in their hearts. What was important to them was what people saw them as. It was all about putting on a show. They tithed not because they loved God but because it was law. They thought their actions were more important than what was in their heart!
They thought God was more impressed with their “show” of holiness than what was in their hearts! They neglected focusing on what was harboring in their hearts. There was evil in their hearts but they never dealt with it.

In Matthew 23:25,26, 27 it says,Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, pretenders (hypocrites)! For you clean the outside of the cup and of the plate, but within they are full of extortion (prey, spoil, plunder) and grasping self-indulgence. You blind Pharisee! First clean the inside of the cup and of the plate, so that the outside may be clean also. Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, pretenders (hypocrites)! For you are like tombs that have been whitewashed, which look beautiful on the outside but inside are full of dead mens bones and everything impure.

The pharisees never took time to look at what was in their hearts. They never took the time to really look at the state of their hearts instead everything they did was focused on what people saw. What people saw them doing was more important than what was on the inside. They cared more about what people thought of them than of what God thought. They wanted the praise of man more than God’s approval. I have not come across a scripture where I see the pharisees crying out to God. I have never heard them repenting of their sins or being humble!!!!

And this is where they missed it. Let us learn from them. Let us take stock of our hearts. Are we people who preach but don’t do? Are we always doing things that will be seen by people so we can get their praise or are we focused on pleasing God??
The pharisees did all the things a Christian is supposed to be doing but they thought works was the only thing that mattered. Works are important but they only make up part of the picture. They never trusted their lives to God. They refused to surrender their lives to God.

Let us allow God into our hearts and deal with us. Let us cry out to Him and allow Him to work in us. Let us be humble. Let us also tithe and fast and pray but understand those things should be done from a heart of love and not because of law!

I have been thinking about this year. It has had good parts and bad and it wouldn’t be fair if I just focused on the good. There are things that I see that I know I could of done better and there are things I should of left well alone. So this post as hard as it is to write is about my failures. I realise that God has given me so much but I shouldn’t take them for granted. I will be accountable for the talents and opportunities I haven’t taken.
I am only going to touch on a few of the failures in the hope that as I read over them over time I avoid making the same mistakes.

The first thing is about the way I see. I have missed some important opportunities because I failed to see. Let me explain what I mean.
The church called for a prayer on the 12/12/12. This was a very significant day but I didn’t go because I had just finished doing a Christmas Production and 3 days of intense teaching. But because I was “tired” I missed out on meeting with God. I missed out on declaring things over my life and my church. I was so convicted. I failed to see that by going I would meet with God. I listened to my flesh and it robbed me of something precious!!!

The other opportunity I missed was when I travelled to Malaysia. I was given some spending money on the last day and instead of using it to pay off my trip I spent it on clothes and the like!!! Again, my flesh got in the way!! I felt so bad. How could I not see that opportunity?! There was an opportunity to put the money towards the trip but instead I used it on myself!!!

I started working at a coffee shop about 3 months ago and I have been lazy to work on my own company! I have seen opportunities and I know I can do both things but I have been lazy. It is crazy….!
The more I write the more I see how I have allowed the flesh to rule me!

I have a mentor and I felt I needed to speak to a certain man to be a mentor in my life. I have been putting it off for some months now. There are so many qualities that I want that I see in him but I have been procrastinating and I have been taught that procrastination is just delayed disobedience! There are times I wonder how God can use me………

The last thing I would like to talk about is sin. I have allowed myself to get comfortable with sin. There are things I am dealing with which came about by my own foolishness!!! How could I be so blind? There are things that I am fighting which I am really not supposed to be struggling with but am because I was just acting the fool………

This year has been a learning one. There are things that need to change. I am not going to have 2012 all over again. 2013 is going to be better and not because I rely on my own strength but because God is for me! Save me from my own craziness Lord.

I am not usually that raw but I needed to vent. If I can’t be transparent with you then what’s the point????
Please remember me in your prayers.
Rolain.

As the year comes to an end I have been doing some reflecting about this blog. A lot has happened in a space of a year. I started writing in January and I had no idea what God had for me. Because of this blog I have met you. My faith has been increased because of what I have learned. Your testimonies and teachings, and experiences and advise and encouragement and you transparency and your humor have impacted me like I never imagined. I thank God for this blog, I thank God for all of you!!!!!! I truly believe this was a God ordained thing and I don’t take it lightly. I am expectant to what the new year has in store especially concerning blogging.

I have written a lot of posts this year but I am not into writing for the sake of writing. The posts I have written and will continue writing are a part of me. They are what I feel God has spoken to me about and either wants me to work on or to share with you. I don’t take them lightly at all and as teachers we are double accountable for what we teach. With that in mind I have compiled a list of my favorite posts. Not just my favorite but posts that really spoke to me. This will be a reminder of what God has spoken to me about and if there are posts you haven’t read then at least you get to read them! So here we go……

1. Conversations As A Prayer – In this post I speak about how we should watch our words when we speak to each other. Our words are powerful and that applies when our guard is down and we speaking to people.

2. Persistence vs Friendship – Persistence will get you what friendship can’t! Sometimes we think our friendship with God will get us what we want in prayer but in this post I show you why persistence is more effective.

10 – Being A Man or Woman of Conviction – The world needs more people who will stand by their convictions but not just any convictions but convictions that are based on the word of God.

11 – What Does Having Potential Really Mean – Have you ever being told you have potential? In this post I discuss how every human being has potential. The case is not if we have potential but how much of our potential we have actually actualized?

12 – Just Because God Said… – Just because God said you have a destiny doesn’t mean you will accomplish it! In this post I show examples of people in the word of God who lost their destiny….

13 – What You Need To Know If You Are Called – A lot of “called” people are not faithful with what God Has given them now. How can God bless you with your own if you are not faithful with what He has placed in your hands right now?

14 – How Do I make God Bigger In My Life? – God is Big. There is no doubt about that. But what happens if we see God as small in our lives??? In this post I discuss the symptoms of someone who has a small picture of God and the symptoms of someone who has a big picture of God.

So that is it. These are the posts which really impacted me this year. It has been a great first year and look forward to an exciting new year with you all!!!!!

Is there a set formula to accomplishing your destiny? There was a time when I thought there was but the truth is, there is not. I know that is a bold and definite conclusion but I will show you why. I don’t believe there is a set way because we are all different. God made us unique and our callings are unique. I do believe there are universal things that we need to heed if we are to accomplish our calling and I also believe there are things we can learn from people that have gone before us but to say there is one specific formula to reach our destiny is where we err.
In this post we are going to look at King David. He had the call of God on his life and I believe we can learn a lot from him concerning destiny.

1 – The first thing we learn from King David is, he was a worshipper. He loved worshipping God. He knew he was called and he never forgot who was in charge. Worship does that. When we worship God we are delaring God is in charge. King David was not afraid to worship. He was passionate about worship.
Are you a worshipper? Do you love worshiping God? Is it a part of you? On the road to our destiny we need to remember that worship plays a big part in our lives. Worship is a very important key to accomplishing your destiny because it keeps your focus on the One who is really in control of your destiny! Worship was more than a “thing” King David did. It was a lifestyle! Worship for us needs to be a lifestyle. No one had to tell him to worship because it was a part of him. Is that the case with us?

2 – King David always knew who to turn to when he sinned. He wasn’t proud like Saul who denied his sin. Instead, he would confess his sin. He didn’t get it right all the time but when he realised where he erred he would ask God to forgive him.
We need to be open and transparent with the sin in our lives to God. Are you like King David who would confess his sin or like Saul who would try and hide his sin?3 – King David was someone who trusted in God. He only read a few incidents where he tried to do things on his own but in the overall picture of his life, King David was someone who trusted in God wholeheartedly. We can see it in how he carried himself with Saul. He never took matters into his own hands. He waited on God to vindicate him. It was the same with Absolom and it was the same with Goliath. David had complete trust in God.
We need to trust God as well. Without faith it is impossible to please God. Trust is a key ingredient in context to destiny and life in general. God’s calling on your life is beyond what you can fathom in your natural understanding and that is where faith comes in. Faith in God will help you achieve what seems “unachievable” because by faith you will be able to see God who is the One directing you and guiding your every step.

And those are the three things that will help you on the road to your destiny. I am so very confident that God’s plan for your life is real and is in motion. I pray these steps will help on your journey. God bless.

I was led to ask this question when I traveled to Malaysia in November. I live in Zimbabwe, Africa and God is very much alive. You can speak freely about Christ without danger of being arrested. I believe we have been guarded from outside influences but when I went to Malaysia, a country that is not christian, I started questioning the relevance of the church. How can we as the church impact the world? We can’t just do church anymore. There are so many other gods you can serve. I remember being depressed in the first few days I was in Malaysia. It seemed like the voice of the church was non existent in this pagan country. I remember going to a restaurant and seeing a shrine. We saw a lot of temples and on one day when we were having church I heard the Muslim call for prayer. It was loud and it nearly drowned the voice of our pastor as he spoke!!!
So in the face of all this, is the church still relevant today?

As I was pondering on this question I got an opportunity to speak to one of the main pastors who was hosting us. I asked him this question and his answer challenged me so much. He told me how they rely on God to perform a miracle every Sunday or in every service. He told me, without the power of God showing up in the service it would be pointless. His faith in God shook me. He told me of miracles happening in the church and he told me how because of Christianity moving in power the government is watching the church. They try to intimidate the church but the church continues to grow.

Is the church still relevant in today’s age? The answer is yes! As we expect God to move and as we don’t become complacent we become more and more powerful. We cannot afford to become mediocre. What is the use of church if God doesn’t show up? What is the use of church if we are content with powerlessness????
What is the use of church if lives are not being changed????

It is time for us as the church to raise the standard. It time to take a stand. It is time to be radical. We need God more than ever. We cannot do it on our own. Jesus turned the world upside down because He trusted God.
There is hope. We are that hope. Let us take our place and turn this world upside down for Christ!!!!!!

What do you see? How you see determines your success. Depending on the way you see, you will be elevated by God or you will remain stagnant.
For many years I have been taught by my pastors on how to see like an eagle and not a chicken. There is a big difference between these two birds which you will see by the end of this post. I used to see like a chicken for many years but then I began to see like an eagle and that made all the difference. So let us get on with it.
Chickens focus on the worm in front of them. They fight for that one worm. That is all they can see.
An eagle on the other hand has remarkable eyesight. It doesn’t just see the one worm the chickens are fighting for but it sees all the other worms in the field the chickens are on and beyond!!!
Which bird are you then? Are you fighting for that one thing in front of you and because of that getting stressed and getting discouraged or are you like an eagle where you can see beyond the one field! When you see like an eagle you see so much more and because of that you have peace. You are able to see things other people can’t see. You don’t get stressed at what other people get stressed at. It takes much much more to shake you when storms come because eagles unlike chickens rise above the storm whereas chickens run away at the first sign of storms and that is why they are called chickens!

The great men and women of old did what they did because they saw what others couldn’t see. To do great things we need to start seeing the way God sees!

In one of my previous posts I spoke about having a clear picture of your future. I explained that you need a clear picture because as human beings we are designed to gravitate towards the strongest picture in our minds.
With that in mind I would like to show you something that illustrates what I am saying so perfectly.
A few days ago I received an interesting email about how computers as we know them are coming to an end. They were speaking about a new age of computers like we have never imagined especially here in Africa where we are still lagging behind. After I watched the presentation I was in a state of shock at the vividness I seen.
Before I carry on, lets watch the clip and you will see what I am talking about……

Did you see that??? Look at how clear their picture is! It is so vivid. The picture has so much detail it feels like it’s a reality! You can taste it and smell it. Nothing has been left unturned from the colors to the kind of people using the computers to the architecture, to the clothes, to the emotions………
How did you feel when you watched it?

This is how our future should look like. We need to be able to smell and taste it. Can you see yourself enjoying yourself in whatever you are supposed to be doing? What does the environment look like where you stay? Where do you stay? What type of friends do you hang out with? What type of car do you drive and so on and so on!?

The point is this. You gravitate towards the strongest picture in your mind. Your job, my job is getting the picture God has for us crystal clear! It is possible.

I was listening to a pod cast by Christine Caine today and she was speaking about discerning the will of God in your life over your own will. It was a very insightful pod cast I must say. As she was speaking she made a statement that hit me.

She was speaking about how a lot of people have had words spoken over them. Those people are so busy trying to pursue what has been spoken over them but they are not faithful with what has been given to them now!

That was so deep because what God has planned for us is so amazing but in our own strength we cannot accomplish it. What we should be doing right now is to be faithful with what He has given us now until the word that God has spoken over us comes to pass. We need to be faithful with what God has placed in our hands now because as we are faithful with that He will bless us with our own, but how can God give you your own if you are not faithful with what He has placed In your hands???

So in conclusion I am agreeing with Christine Caine. We need to be faithful with what God has put in our hands. Another thing I want to clarify is, the call of God on your life is so important. Don’t despise it or think it wrong to follow it. As you bring it to God and wait and trust, you must also be faithful with what He has placed in your hands!!!!

Before Jesus went into ministry He was under the authority of His parents. Luke 2:51 says,

And He went down with them, and came to Nazareth, and was subject unto them; but His mother kept all these things in her heart.

And Jesus increased in wisdom and stature, and in favor with God and man.

Did you read that? Jesus didn’t abandon His parents to accomplish the call of God on His life. Instead, He submitted to them being faithful with what was put in His hands and in the meantime His mother pondered all the things that had happened in her heart!!!!!

That is what we need to do as well. As we have been given words of prophecy, we need to ponder them in our hearts but at the same time be faithful with what is in our hands…..

God will bring what He has spoken over you to pass in the right time. Amen